It was the joint-biggest first-leg win by an away side in a League Cup semi-final and it would take a monumental collapse for Forest to turn things around at Old Trafford next week.
Marcus Rashford continued his fine season as he scored again to help Manchester United beat Nottingham Forest 3- 0 in their League Cup semifinal first leg on Wednesday.
England forward Rashford’s superb single trouble after six twinkles, dancing once protectors before firing home, took him to 18 pretensions in all competitions this season. Only Manchester City’s Erling Haaland has further for a Premier League club in 2022- 23.
Timber allowed they had snappily restored equality at the City Ground after catching United out on the counter but Sam Surridge’s trouble was ruled out for offside following a VAR review.
United capitalised on that reprieve by doubling their lead just before halftime, on- loan striker Wout Weghorst netting his first thing since joining the club after Antony’s shot had been well saved.
The alternate thing killed off Forest expedients of a comeback and Bruno Fernandes added a late third to keep United well on course to win their first jewel since 2017.
“I ’m happy with the performance, over 90 twinkles we controlled the game, ” United trainer Erik ten Hag said. “ There was one moment which could have changed the game and we’ve to be apprehensive of that and ameliorate.
“In this mood and with this spirit, he( Rashford) is impregnable. He can be creative in the final third, to do commodity in the final third, some crazy stuff, fantasy and adventure. ”
United came into the contest having suffered their first defeat since November in all competitions at Arsenal on Sunday and had also lost their last three mug semi-finals.
Rashford gave them the perfect platform to ameliorate that record, but Forest responded well, allowing they had incontinently levelled, only for VAR to intermediate, before the hosts created and wasted further chances.
The callers produced a fine move to play Antony in on the half- hour mark, but the Brazilian was denied by timber goalkeeper Wayne Hennessey, standing in for on- loan Dean Henderson who can not play against his parent club United.
The coming shot Antony had redounded in the alternate thing as his important trouble was beaten down by Hennessey, but Weghorst, on his third appearance, was on hand to open his United account.
United sympathizers in the down end were singing “ Wembley ” at halftime and their dreams of returning to the notorious old colosseum for February’s final continued after the break.
At 2- 0, timber weren’t fully out of the tie, but Fernandes’s drilled finish in the 89th nanosecond gave United the common- biggest first- leg palm by an down side in a League Cup semi-final and it would take a monumental collapse for timber to turn effects around at Old Trafford coming week.
“Obviously, it was a disappointing score line, ” Forest trainer Steve Cooper said. “ The last thing you want to do is go to Old Trafford with this result.
“Obviously, Rashford is one of the in- form players in the country, but for us to allow him to do what he did isn’t good enough. ”
Newcastle United won 1- 0 at Southampton in the first leg of the other semi-final. Know More Latest Football News…
